Controlled circuit breaker unit

ABSTRACT

A circuit breaker device is provided in a housing. A control device in the housing in operative embodiment with the circuit breaker device controls the connection of the circuit breaker device into a power circuit and the disconnection of the circuit breaker device from the power circuit.

United States Patent 1191 UNITED STATES PATENTS /1927 Schachtner 335/202 Rotch Nov. 4, 1975 [5 CONTROLLED CIRCUIT BREAKER UNIT 2,057,093 10/1936 Geisslinger 335/202 2,298.053 10/1942 Helland 335/202 Inventor- Abbm Mllton Mass' 2,335,888 12/1943 Sti1we11, Jr. 335/145 73 Assignee; The Raymond Lee Organization, 3,103,563 9/1963 Grenier 335/145 Inc., New York, NY. a part mterest Primary Examiner1-1arold Broome [22] Filed: Aug 12, 1974 Attorney, Agent, or FirmDaniel Jay Tick [21] Appl. No.: 496,468

- [57] ABSTRACT 335/202 A circuit breaker device is provided in a housing. A [51] Int. Cl. H0111 61/04 t l devi e in the housing in operative embodiment Field of Search 335/145, 2 with the circuit breaker device controls the connec- 33 10 tion of the circuit breaker device into a power circuit and the disconnection of the circuit breaker device References Clted from the power circuit.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patfint Nov. 4, 1975 FIG. 2

CONTROLLED CIRCUIT BREAKER UNIT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

tions efficiently, effectively and reliably to control the opening and closing of selected circuits in a building so that various electrical components and units such as, for example, electric lights, air conditioners, and so on, are automatically turned on and off. This is an especially effective security measure since it permits a person to control the periods during which various lights and other units in his dwelling place are operative and non-operative during periods of time when he is away from home.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view, partly in section, of an embodiment of the control circuit breaker unit of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the controlled circuit breaker unit of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the controlled circuit breaker unit of the invention.

The controlled circuit breaker unit of the invention may be energized by a known type of timer to turn selected electrical components and/or appliances ON and OFF for desired periods of time. The advantages of the use of the controlled circuit breaker unit of the invention are the control of a greater number of lights and other equipment units with a single timer and the utilization of several different controls for different parts of a building.

Basically the controlled circuit breaker unit of the invention is a combination of a circuit breaker device and a relay control device for controlling the operation of the circuit breaker device. The combination of circuit breaker and control device is housed as a single unit which is installable in a fuse socket.

The controlled circuit breaker unit of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The portion below broken line 1 of FIG. I is a standard screw-type thermal circuit breaker or fuse 2. The portion above the broken line 1 is a relay control device 3 for controlling the operation of the circuit breaker. Both the circuit breaker device and the control device utilize the same set of movable electrical contacts 4 and 5.

When a relay coil or winding 6 of the relay control device 3 is energized, it draws an armature disc 7 upward against a pole piece 8. The armature disc 7 is movably mounted in axial directions on a plunger 9. When the armature disc 7 is moved upward against the 2 pole piece 8, it compresses a spring 10 which is coaxially positioned around the plunger 9. The compression of the spring 10 pulls the plunger 9 and the movable contacts 4 and 5 upward so that the movable contacts abut and make electrical contact with fixed contacts 11 and 12, respectively, thereby closing the circuit.

In the event of an overload in the circuit, excessive current produces heating in a bimetallic link 13 of the circuit breaker device 2. This causes the bimetallic link 13 to clear a detent 14. The plunger 9 is thus pulled down by springs 15 and 16 of the circuit breaker device. This separates the movable contacts 4 and 5 from the fixed contacts 11 and 12 and opens the circuit. This overload action is independent of the operation of the relay control device 3 and the circuit breaker device may be reset only by manually depressing the plunger 9 to reposition the contacts and the bimetallic link 13 above the detent 14.

When the relay winding 6 is deenergized, a spring 17 of the relay control device 3 forces the plunger 9 down, thereby separating the movable contacts 4 and 5 from the fixed contacts 11 and 12 and opening the circuit. The travel of the spring 17 is limited by the permissible travel of the armature disc 7, so that the plunger 9 is not forced down far enough by the spring 17 to reset the circuit breaker device 2 if it has tripped due to a current overload. The circuit breaker device 2 is manually reset, as hereinbefore described.

The controlled circuit breaker unit of the invention is housed in a housing 18.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific example and in a specific embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereto, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A controlled circuit breaker unit, comprising a housing having an externally threaded part for threaded coupling in a fuse socket;

a thennal circuit breaker device in the housing in the externally threaded part;

a relay control device in the remainder of the housing in operative contact with the circuit breaker device; and

a common set of movable electrical contacts in the housing utilized by the circuit breaker device and the relay control device, said control device controlling the connection in and disconnection from a power circuit of the circuit breaker device, said electrical contacts being manually resetable to closed position. 2. A controlled circuit breaker unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device includes a relay winding connected in a control circuit for closing the electrical contacts. 

1. A controlled circuit breaker unit, comprising a housing having an externally threaded part for threaded coupling in a fuse socket; a thermal circuit breaker device in the housing in the externally threaded part; a relay control device in the remainder of the housing in operative contact with the circuit breaker device; and a common set of movable electrical contacts in the housing utilized by the circuit breaker device and the relay control device, said control device controlling the connection in and disconnection from a power circuit of the circuit breaker device, said electrical contacts being manually resetable to closed position.
 2. A controlled circuit breaker unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device includes a relay winding connected in a control circuit for closing the electrical contacts. 